The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-12-29
SOMEWHAT MIXED.

Conflicting Reports Concerning the Dis
tress in kansas-Onc Statement Says
Over sixty Persons Have Perislsed
Through Cold and Hunger, and the
Other Declares the Stories Are Greatly
Exaggerated-The Cold Wave In the
south.
WICHITA. Kan. Dec. n:,-All the settled
districts of Kansas have been aroused by
the horrible details of death and suffering
in the west to sense Of the necessity for
immediate action in the direction OF relief.
Additional information received character
izcs the bl zzard as one OF the worst III the
annals Of the State and In it's effects prob
ably the most fatal, the number of deaths
from a combination of hunger and cold be-
ing placed at sixty. J. T. Hackney. Of Ash
land, Clark County, reached this city yes
terday, and gives the details OF the storms
work. He says:
When the blizzard struck US last Monday
the country people we're almost entirely ont Of
fuel what little they had being buffalo chips.
Sunday was an autumnal day, and none we're
prepared for the storm that followed.
Reports OF deaths have been coming
in ever since. OF my own knowledge
can vouch for the following: John
Henry and John Golfer left Ashland an hour
before the snow began to fall. Next day their
bodies were found some miles west Of town
and their team which had drifted before the
storm, was found dead in harness
some twenty miles south As soon as the
most violent part Of the storm had passed we
organized rescuing parties The party with
VIII ch was in one sod shanty founi an entire
family OF Ave. named kannus. frozen stif.
The mother was dead In bed while two chill
dren had died on their stools. Not particle
Of fuel was visible The bodies were taken to
Ashland and buried. B c. Purdy, who had been
out looking at claim, was found dead
within half mile OF the limits OF the town,
having evidently lost his way in the binding
snow, as he was cn the highway. These and
two othe bodies had been found up to the time
of my leaving yesterday. Ashland has been
turned into hospital for the large number
frozen, though not fatally. Amputation had
been necessltated in several instances.'
Residents here are receiving advIces from
fr ends in the west. giving equally horrible
details The condition OF the people of
Lane, Scott. Wichita and Greeley counties
is terrible.
C. Rogers. banker Of Mead Center. who
came in yesterday. says though he has heard
of no actual death from starvation he
knows the people Of his county to be desti-
tute OF fuel. and that many Of them have
been living for some weeks on corn meal.
Mr.. Riley and two children were frozen to
death near Dighton. Lane County. while six
deaths are reported from Greeley. nine from
Wichita and three from Scott County. The
facts are slow to come in many of these
counties being 100 and 80 miles from tele-
graph stations. but agents have been sent
on horseback from most of these districts
to the nearest point of communication with
the outside world
KANSAS Cry, Mo-. Dec. % The weather
continues to moderate in this city and in
| the State of Kansas Encouraging reports
| arc coming in from the West, which
go far to remove the impression OF
| extreme suffering in Kansas from
lack of food and fuel While there
have undoubtedly been isolated cases of
death from exposure and instances Of indi-
| v!dual suffering from scarcity of provisions.
there is no doubt that the condition of af-
fl rs has been greatly exaggerated
| GARDEN ClTY Kan, Dec. 23-Represen-
tatives of eleven counties of West and
/ Southwest Kansas report that in those
counties there has been no more suffering
from the cold snap than usually expe-
rienced by people who are provided against
! such emergencies by clothing, food and
fuel No de tbs have been reported from
| cold, and paop.e are well provided with
food and fuel, the coal famine having come
10 an end about two weeks ago. A local
paper. which has correspondents in twelve
counties, says that in the cou mites of Scott,
Wichita, Hamilton. Kearney. Kinney, Has
kcll, Grant, Stanton, Morton. Stevens, Sew
ard, Gray and Garfield there has been no
severe suffering from cold
ATcHIsoS. Kan. Dec 23. There is no
lack of fuel or food anywhere in Northeast
ern Kansas nor along the northern tier Of
| counties
ABILENE, Kan. Dec. 33-Specials from
po nts on the line of the Union Pacific and
points north Of the road indicate no trouble
ut all or no scarcity of food or fuel. This
| may be said to include all Of Northwestern
! Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan, Dec. a3 The situation in
Western Kansas has greatly improved dur
ing the last twenty-fOur hours The
weather has moderated and the supply oi
coal is being increased Twenty carloads
were shipped yesterday from the Atchison
Topeka 4 Santa Fe Company's mines il
Colorado, which will be distributed at once
at the towns most In need OF fuel
GALVESTON, Tex, Dec. 23 = Freezing
weather prevailed here all day and the city
is covered with coat of Ice. The freezing
line extends beyond the Rio Grande some
distance into Mexico.
Dispatches to the signal officer here show
that very cold weather prevails Throughout,
tha great cattle districts Of Texas. Reports
of suffering by exposed cattle are being re
ceived A heavy sleet Is falling.
CHATHAM, Miss, Dec. 23-A wild an,
fierce Northwestern swept across the cap,
yesterday afternoon and continues Will
snow-squalls and bitter SHOWS There /.
much anxiety i'll regard to shipping.
LABOR IN THE SOUTH
A Gloomy View Of the situation Given b.
Prominent knight Of Labor.
WAsHINGToN. Dec. .3-Thomas b. Barry
of the Executive Board of Knights Of Labor
who has been on tour through the South
says he was unfayorably impressed witt
what he saw OF the social and political con
dition Of labor at the south School fa
cillties, he says, are sadly lack
ing, and intimidation Is rampant
especially as to the free use Of the cleo
tive franchise. The tenant farmers. h
thinks, are in but little better condition
than the oppressed tenants OF Ireland A
all important places visited the fe. ! n.
against Knights of Labor was very high. Il
some places kind Of kuklux klan was OF
ganized to fight the order Wages are ali
surdy low, ranging from tifteel
cents for children to one dolla
| 1OI auulIs NOVlOu IllliS run ZOE lWeiv
and one-half hours per day, with twent
minutes for dinner. and an almost incon
ce.vable amount of brutality, he says
exercised toward the hands Mr.. Barr
favors tie Blair bill, and suggests rs
means Of improvement. OF these oonli
tions. time education and organization o
the MISSES
Il little girl came home from he1
grandmother one day with yer,
full account of an elegant luneh-part,
that grandmamma was giving. Sur
prised that she had known nothin;
about it before, mamma made in
quirlcs. only to learn that no suel
party had taken place. Questioned il
regard TO her imaginative effort. Ma
bic ;n,wered. plausibly: "Why. mann
ma, sometimes You make up tories t